Phantom of the Enterprise
by Rina Meunier
Summary: When two men in white suits appear on the ship with a strange, supposedly supernatural, being in tow, the triumvirate has to find out the truth about a species they thought only existed in legends and this particular specimen in particular.
1. Not a Good Day

Not a Good Day

Danny was not having a good day. First, he'd gotten detention for falling asleep in class. Again. Because he had been out fighting ghosts all night. Again. He'd been cornered by Dash after Lancer had let him go. Again. Even though that last part had been interrupted by yet another ghost attack.

Well, attack was the wrong word considering it was only the Box Ghost, but still. And now, when all Danny had been doing was flying towards home, he'd been discovered by the Guys in White, who had promptly begun chasing him.

Sometimes Danny wondered why he was still doing this. He was tempted to leave the humans to fight for themselves and see how they managed without him. But he just couldn't. No matter how sick and tired he was of his life.

The chase wasn't going well for him either. He had been feeling weak and tired all day. That had been the reason why he had fallen asleep in class in the first place. This showed in his reduced speed. The GiWs were closing in on him and Danny was wishing for a miracle to happen.

It was as if Desiree had heard his silent wish, because barely had he thought it, a natural portal opened, revealing the eerie green swirls of the Ghost Zone. He increased his speed one last time and crossed the border between the two dimensions. When he looked back, however, he saw with horror that his hunters made it through just before the portal closed.

Danny didn't have time to freak out before something that felt like electricity ran through his body and everything went black.

* * *

Kirk was not having a good day. It had been a simple star charting mission when the sensors had picked up a strange and very short-lived anomaly right _on board_ the Enterprise. When he and Spock arrived at the scene, neither of them could make sense of what they were seeing.

On the floor sat two men with sunglasses, dressed in white suits, with what appeared to be jet packs on their backs and odd looking guns in their hands. Said guns were aimed at a third figure. This one was quite smaller than any of the four men and was wearing an oversized black cloak, its hood pulled far over the being's head. Peeking out from under the cloak due to its sitting position was a pair of skinny legs, clad in skintight black pants and white boots. What stood out were the glowing green cuffs restraining the creature's legs with very little room for movement. And was Kirk seeing things or was the whole figure surrounded by a dim white glow?

He shared a look with Spock who only raised an astonished eyebrow while the two men were looking equally stunned at Spock, especially his pointed ears.

Kirk cleared his throat. "Gentlemen, who are you and what is going on here?"

One of the two stood before pulling up his companion, who then roughly pulled the smaller figure up while the first man kept the weapon pointed at its head. "We are the Guys in White, a government agency protecting humanity from dangerous creatures such as this one."

Kirk had to suppress a snort at the name while Spock's second eyebrow joined the first. "And what exactly is this 'dangerous creature' you insist on threatening with what I suppose is a sort of weapon?"

The man that had introduced himself and his colleague as government agents still looked at Spock oddly before answering: "That is Phantom. Probably the most dangerous ghost in all of Amity Park."

* * *

**I thought I would once more try to write a crossover. I hope I can finish this one without having to delete it because I ran out of ideas. I have a good feeling about this. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll try to make them longer in the future. Feedback is appreciated. **


	2. Phantom

Phantom

"So let me get this straight," Kirk said a short time later and leaned forward in his chair. He pointed at the hooded figure in the corner of the briefing room. "This is a ghost. A dangerous being with unimaginable power that you hunt so it can no longer cause so much damage in your town."

One of the white-dressed men, who called himself Agent O, nodded. "Correct. It and others of its kind wreak havoc on Amity Park almost daily. Phantom displays territorial behavior. It shows up, fights the other ghost, catches it in a piece of stolen ghost hunting equipment and disappears again." He held up a silver cylindrical device that for whatever reason looked like a thermos, complete with a cup as a lid.

Spock took the device. It had a logo on it, a stylized green ghost shape with an F in it. "Who constructed this?"

"Maddie and Jack Fenton, the leading experts on ghosts. They even built a portal to the Ghost Zone," the other man, Agent K, explained.

"The Ghost Zone?" Kirk replied, baffled.

"Those nuisances' home dimension. We once tried to get rid of it and the ghosts in it, but failed."

Phantom struggled harder against its restraints, clearly agitated. Spock crossed his arms over his chest. "You attempted to destroy a whole dimension along with its entire population for no other reason than some of its inhabitants causing property damage?" Phantom's head snapped around to face him and Spock found himself looking into a pair of glowing radioactive green eyes.

Agent K shook his head. "They are a threat to humanity, Commander. Phantom is particularly powerful. We wanted to take it back to our lab to study it."

"And by 'study' you mean…," Kirk trailed off.

"Dissecting it. See how its body functions. Maybe we could do it together. You surely have a place where you can conduct such experiments."

Phantom seemed to shrink into itself and flinched violently when McCoy decided to make his point clear. "Nothing's being dissected here, especially not in _my _sickbay. I'm a doctor, not a butcher."

Agent O waved it off. "Surely you have experience in this area. Phantom is a ghost and therefore not alive anymore. There is no need for your hesitation. We've wanted to do this for a long time, but the kid is so elusive, he really fits his name."

That made the three officers stop short. "Kid? It… he is a child?" McCoy growled.

Agent O sighed. "We wished to avoid this when we decided to dress him in the cloak. We didn't want you to be fooled by his appearance. He is just oddly humanoid-shaped ectoplasm."

Spock rose from his chair and approached the ghost, who looked like he wanted nothing more than to sink through the floor. The Vulcan kneeled down. "I will not harm you," he quietly reassured him before taking hold of the hood and pushing it back to reveal the face of a teenage boy with messy white hair looking at him with large, wide, terrified eyes.

The captain and the doctor blinked. Spock removed the cloak entirely, then stood and pulled the boy to his feet.

The kid was skinny. He wore a black, skintight suit with white boots, gloves, belt and collar. A symbol that looked like a wispy D was on his chest. And Kirk had not been seeing things. The child was faintly glowing. His hands were cuffed behind his back with restraints similar to those binding his ankles.

McCoy came closer and ran his tricorder over Phantom, who flinched away, nearly falling on his rear if Spock hadn't caught him.

The doctor frowned. "This doesn't make any sense. Can you help me out? Do you know what your normal vitals are?"

The boy opened his mouth, closed it again and shrugged in defeat. "He can't speak. The restraints keep him from using his powers. For some reason, this includes his voice," Agent K explained.

"Jim, I'd like to examine him. Without the cuffs."

Kirk looked over the boy's head at his first officer. Spock considered. Through the contact, he could only get vague impressions. It was mostly fear, with a hint of hope, but no hostility. The Vulcan nodded.

"Release him," Kirk ordered sternly.

"What? You can't do that! He is going to bolt as soon as he's free. And then you'll have a dangerous ghost running free on your ship!"

Kirk's gaze hardened. "You said it. My ship. So this is my responsibility and I give the orders around here. Release him. Now."

The agent reluctantly pulled out a remote and with one last hateful glare at Phantom, pressed the button. The cuffs stopped glowing and dropped to the floor. Phantom gingerly massaged his wrists. His glow brightened and his feet slowly left the ground. He gazed around hectically before he turned glowing blue and transparent and flew through the ceiling.

"I told you he would do that!"

"Can't say I blame him," Spock heard McCoy mutter under his breath.

Kirk stepped over to the intercom. "Kirk to Security. I need four officers in Briefing Room III."

"Phantom's God knows where and you are not equipped to catch ghosts," Agent K complained.

"Oh, I wasn't thinking about the ghost," Kirk said before turning to the newly arrived redshirts. "Take those two to assigned quarters and make sure they stay there."

After all their weapons had been removed, the two outraged agents where led away.

Spock studied the arrangement of weapons on the table. "What shall we do about Phantom, Captain?"

"We wait and leave him alone. He'll hopefully reappear once he sees that we are not a threat to him."

Spock nodded. His thoughts exactly.


	3. Spying

Spying

Danny had known that natural portals could open randomly and that there was no certainty where and when one would end up. However, he never would have thought that he'd end up more than 200 years in the future and on a freaking starship. He was in space. He couldn't stop staring out of every available window.

He was currently floating invisibly near one of the windows in the mess hall. Coming to think about it, it sort of reminded him of the cafeteria back at Casper High. The senior officers shared a table while the other officers remained with those of similar rank and/or department.

He considered the three of them he'd had contact with so far. Captain James T. Kirk, his first officer and chief science officer Commander Spock, who as Danny had overheard was part of an extraterrestrial species called Vulcans, and Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, the USS Enterprise's chief medical officer, who was on a first name basis with the captain to the point that not once in the time Danny had been on board had he heard McCoy refer to the captain by title. And Kirk himself called the Doctor "Bones" for some reason. Spock on the other hand called Kirk Captain exclusively on duty and McCoy Doctor. Always.

The young halfa felt somewhat guilty for spying on them. None of them had shown any sign of contempt or even fear towards him, and yet, Danny was on guard. He knew he would need their help if he ever wanted to return home. Not to mention that while he had been wearing them, the cuffs had not only reduced him to the clumsy, weak kid he was without his powers, but they, or the electric shock that had rendered him unconscious, had somehow trapped him in ghost form.

After he'd fled from the briefing room to an unoccupied set of quarters, ready to change back and drop dead figuratively speaking, he found to his despair that he couldn't turn back into a human. Not even the signature rings would appear.

Sighing in resignation, he returned his gaze to the stars. Why was his life such a mess?

* * *

"Anything abnormal on the security tapes, Spock?" Kirk asked the Vulcan after he'd taken a seat.

"Indeed, Captain." Spock turned the monitor so Kirk and McCoy could see the footage from the mess hall. It was from this morning 00:34 hours. First nothing happened, then a tray slowly flew towards the food synthesizer. A disk floated into its appropriate spot. The machine processed the disk, the slot opened, revealing a large sandwich and a beverage in a standard issue cup. The food and drink then moved out of the machine and onto the tray. The tray went over to a table near the window where it lowered itself onto the tabletop.

The two humans watched with stunned amusement as the sandwich disappeared quickly bite by bite. The cup flew up and tilted, its contents seemingly never flowing out. Then the tray put itself in the recycler and Spock stopped the recording.

Kirk couldn't keep the grin of his face. "Phantom?"

Spock raised an eyebrow, his own lips twitching. "Most likely, Sir."

McCoy shook his head. "The kid's still so afraid of us that he eats in the dead of night while invisible? What did those guys do to him?"

Kirk sobered. "I don't know, Bones. Does either of you have an idea how to gain his trust?"

Spock cleared his throat. "This is not the first recording of him eating. As he seems to need sustenance like humans do, I suggest we leave disks with a small variety of meals for him."

"Good idea. Should we put them near the synthesizer?"

Spock shook his head. "Unnecessary. Ship sensors show odd energy readings in an unoccupied set of junior officers' quarters. The readings are similar to those Dr. McCoy took of Phantom."

McCoy tapped his chin in thought. "Seems like he went to find a place to rest and regain his strength. You think we should sneak in and put the disks on the desk?"

Spock nodded. "Precisely. Phantom seems to be currently inside his quarters, but inactive. I believe he is sleeping."

Kirk nodded, his smile returning. "Bones, what would you suggest feeding a boy Phantom's age?"

* * *

An hour later, the three quietly entered the room in question. At first there was no sign of someone inhabiting it, but if they listened carefully, they could hear the sound of somebody taking steady breaths.

They looked at each other before slowly moving towards the sleeping area. The first thing they saw was a pair of white boots discarded on the floor right next to the bed. At the foot of the bed lay a familiar black and white outfit. Spock rubbed the fabric together between his fingers.

Their eyes moved further up the bed. Curled up and wrapped in the blanket like a burrito was undoubtedly Phantom, even though all that was visible of him was a mop of white hair.

They stepped away from the sleeping child towards the desk where Spock slowly and silently put down the labeled disks before they tiptoed out the door.

Back in the corridor, Spock was the first who spoke. "A hazmat suit."

Dr. McCoy looked straight ahead while they walked. "You think it was what he wore when he… became a ghost? Sorry, it's hard for me to think of that breathing, sleeping kid as dead."

"Only Phantom can answer that I'm afraid," Kirk mused. "Didn't those government nutjobs mention a home dimension for ghosts? Are they truly dead humans or are they simply beings from another dimension?"

"I believe that too is something only Phantom can tell us," Spock answered. "Unless you wish to risk receiving a lot of unproven theories and half truths."

Kirk shuddered. Telling their 'prisoners' where and when they currently were had led to wild speculations between the two agents on how that was possible. The mere thought of it had his head spinning again. "No thanks. I hope our ghost boy is more qualified to answer our questions."

* * *

Danny sat up in the narrow bed and rubbed his eyes. He got up and dressed before stepping around the divider separating the sleeping area from the rest of the room. He stopped dead in his tracks. There was something on the desk that had not been there when he had gone to bed. Someone had been in here while he had been sleeping. He hadn't heard a thing. He seemed to have been more beat than he'd thought.

Danny flew over to the desk and picked up the object. He blinked when he realized that he was holding disks for the food machine thingy in the mess hall. They were labeled with his name as well as what they contained. Had they really given him a collection of breakfast, lunch and dinner options?

He shook his head in disbelieve. But then, for the first time in quite a while, a smile crept onto his face.

Somewhere deep within the Ghost Zone, a figure in a purple cloak holding a staff in his gloved hand was watching the scene of the smiling young boy holding a few yellow, red and blue disks in his hands. A secretive smile flittered across his features. "All is as it should be."

* * *

**Wow, I'm shook. Thanks for your support. **

**The scene of Danny eating while invisible is somewhat inspired by a kids' TV show about a Bavarian master carpenter who gets a kobold who turns invisible when others approach. There was a scene where that kobold ate stuff that fell off the table and as a child I found it looked funny.**

**Thanks for the support. Until next time. Good night.**


	4. The Phantom Returns

The Phantom Returns

The science lab was empty. Spock had started on the analysis of the GiWs' weaponry. When one of his officers had picked up one of the strange-looking devices, it had gone off. Fortunately, however, it had only left a slimy purple stain on her uniform. Spock had ordered her to report to sickbay just to be on the safe side.

It had been decided to keep the weapons in the vault for the time being and Spock was now bending over a microscope, studying the substance. He shook his head and scribbled down a few notes. If those weapons really caused harm to ghosts while they only left a gooey mess on humans, this Ghost Zone really must be a strange place.

Spock put the sample away before sitting down and steepling his fingers in thought. Phantom had still not reappeared even though security footage showed that he took full advantage of the disks he had been given. He'd been watching them. And Spock was certain that the boy had taken an interest in him. He was unsure if it was because the ghost had probably never seen an extraterrestrial before or because Spock had been the first who had gotten close enough to touch him.

His head snapped up when the lights suddenly dimmed. But before he could ask the computer about the unauthorized changes, his gaze fell onto the figure on the opposite side of the room. He blinked. As the figure came closer, he saw that it seemed to be entirely made of metal. It roughly had the appearance of a tall, muscled man with pupil-less glowing green eyes and green fire for hair and a goatee. The ghost, as Spock was fairly certain it was a ghost, wore a black sleeveless suit, combat boots and a belt with many compartments and a buckle with an S on it. It, or rather he, wore a choker with a skull on it.

Their eyes met. The ghost looked at him intently before a dangerous smile twisted his mouth. Spock jumped up and pressed his back against the wall, hoping he could reach the door before the creature reached him. If this ghost had powers similar to Phantom's, taking cover would be pointless. But maybe he could reach the weapons vault in time…

He couldn't finish the thought before the robotic ghost reached him and grabbed him by the throat, bringing him up to his eyelevel. Spock gripped the mechanical hand. He couldn't breathe. His struggling was only met with laughter. "Do you truly think you can escape?" the ghost taunted him with an echoing voice.

Spock was unable to reply. He started feeling light-headed and his vision became blurry. Was he going to die like this?

A green blast hit the hand holding him, causing it to let go. Spock fell to the ground where he curled up, gasping for breath. Once his lungs had drawn in enough air, he sat up against the wall. In front of him stood Phantom, his hand still surrounded by green energy. "Leave him alone, Skulker," he growled angrily.

Skulker smirked. "Well, well, well. Seems like the coward has decided to show his face."

Spock couldn't see Phantom's expression, but he sounded positively livid. "You're the one picking on somebody who's completely unarmed and who has nothing to do with this."

"I thought it would lure you out of your hiding place. And I was right."

Phantom's hands clenched into fists and the second hand lit up with energy as well. "You have a detector. You could have found me and then we would have dealt with this between the two of us."

Skulker chuckled. "Where would have been the fun in that, Ghost Child? Besides, did you know he is the only half-human hybrid of his people? That makes him even rarer than you."

Phantom turned his head to look at Spock. His green eyes studied him before narrowing. "You're sicker than I thought, Skulker."

Then without warning Phantom turned back to the other ghost, flew up and slammed into him full force. Skulker collided with the opposite wall near the ceiling, Phantom hovering slightly beneath in a fighting stance. Skulker grabbed the boy by the collar and threw him into one of the lab tables, which broke under the impact. Phantom lay in the remains of test tubes and PADDS, rubbing his head. Skulker stretched out his arm in Phantom's direction and Spock watched as a missile rose from somewhere within the armor on his forearm.

Phantom's eyes widened and he managed barely to roll out of the way, leaving the missile stuck in the floor. He got up, once more readying his blasts. "Alright, you leave me no choice."

And with that, Phantom started firing rapidly, a few stray blasts destroying furniture or leaving scorch marks on the walls. The blasts hitting Skulker literally blew him into pieces. When Phantom stopped, robotic parts were scattered all over the floor.

The captain and Doctor McCoy chose that moment to run into the room. "Spock! We came as fast as we…" Kirk's eyes fell on Phantom, then the damage done to the room and then to the parts littering the floor. "What the hell happened here?"

"Skulker, the self-proclaimed greatest hunter of the Ghost Zone." Phantom answered while approaching Skulker's head, thermos in hand. "He thinks me and apparently Spock too would make a great addition to his trophy room."

McCoy ran a tricorder over Spock, eyeing the strangulation marks on the Vulcan's throat. "I want you in sickbay. The oxygen flow was cut off for almost too long."

Phantom looked at them with concern. "Is he gonna be ok?"

Spock nodded. "I will recover. Thank you for your timely intervention."

The boy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "You're welcome. I'm sorry about the mess."

Kirk snorted. "You saved my first officer from being strangled by some robot ghost. I couldn't care less about the state of the room. It is nothing that couldn't be repaired."

McCoy eyed the pieces. "You did quite a number on that one. Is it…"

Phantom blinked before comprehension dawned. "Oh no, He's fine." Phantom once more walked towards the head, reached inside and pulled out a squirming, cursing, glowing green something. He threw it in the air, uncapped the thermos and the green ghost was absorbed into the container by a blue beam. Phantom replaced the cap and hooked the thermos onto his belt. The pieces of armor disappeared. "You see, Skulker is a small ghost with only basic powers inside a robotic battle suit."

"You do that often, huh?" McCoy asked.

"What? Fighting other ghosts or blasting Skulker into bits? The answer is yes to the former and no to the latter."

McCoy helped Spock up while Kirk walked over to Phantom and extended his hand. "Accompany us to sickbay, please. We need to check you over, too. And we have a lot of questions. I hope you won't disappear this time."

Phantom chuckled. "Something tells me you'd find me even if I did. I won't. I'll gladly answer as best I can." And he took Kirk's hand and shook it.

* * *

**Sorry, this took a bit longer than I wanted. My hands are giving me trouble to the point where I almost can't type and most certainly can't take notes by hand. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	5. Explanations

Explanations

Spock got up from the examination table once McCoy had finished treating the marks on his throat. "No lasting damage, but please take it easy for the next few days."

Phantom fidgeted, his gaze firmly on the floor. "I'm sorry."

Three confused pairs of eyes trained on him. "Why are you sorry?" McCoy asked. "It wasn't you who did this to him. You showed up before anything worse happened."

The boy still wouldn't meet their eyes even as he flew up on the table Spock had previously occupied. "The reason why Skulker attacked Commander Spock in the first place was to lure me out of my hiding place. I didn't even realize he'd escaped the thermos until he got close enough to trigger my ghost sense, which was probably the moment he turned up at the lab. Then I had to retrieve the thermos and I got lost on the way and was almost too late."

Spock stepped closer to the young ghost. "You were just in time to interfere. It is hardly your fault that Skulker is hunting you. And as you pointed out in the laboratory, he would have had the means of tracking you down without threatening any member of the crew. And yet, he decided it would be more 'fun' to do it the way he did. Furthermore, you cannot be blamed for deciding to hide or that he escaped."

Phantom briefly looked at the Vulcan, still not entirely convinced. McCoy started running his tricorder over him. "How did Skulker escape? Do you know?" Kirk asked gently.

The boy sighed. "I caught Skulker the night before those two government nut jobs and I ended up here after I had already released the other ghosts of that night back into the Ghost Zone. By the time the fight ended, it was too late for me to empty it again and I had to tend to other matters. The day was a complete disaster, I had to catch another ghost and because I haven't gotten much sleep lately, I got myself caught. I tried to flee through a natural portal and then return via the Fenton Portal, but I was rendered unconscious. The next thing I remember is you and your first officer staring down at us with me stripped of all my powers, including my ability to sense other ghosts. I think Skulker was accidentally released somehow while I was in those cuffs and then kept out of my range. I didn't think of checking the thermos. I'm sorry."

McCoy slammed his fist down on the table, making Phantom literally jump several feet in the air. "Kid, stop apologizing. You didn't do anything wrong. Constantly being blamed for everything has gone to your head."

The boy took a deep breath and floated back down again. "Did you get here through another 'natural portal' as you call it?" Kirk questioned.

Phantom shrugged. "I have no other explanation. The GiWs must have gone through one after the one through which we entered closed. Every remotely sane person knows not to randomly go through natural portals because they are unstable and there is no way of knowing where and when you'll end up. You could end up living with dinosaurs if you're unlucky."

McCoy shook his head at the readings he had received. "I'm sorry, this just doesn't make sense. You are radiating a lot of energy, but other than that, I can't make sense of those readings."

The boy looked sheepish. "I'm afraid I don't know much either. You're the first human to study me this closely."

"Where you ever examined by another ghost?" Spock asked.

"I guess. But there wasn't time to get much information." And Phantom told them the story of how he had to defeat a plant ghost named Undergrowth who had turned the whole town into a jungle and who had subjected all its human inhabitants to mind control. He explained about how he retreated to the Ghost Zone to seek help to control a new power before it froze him into a popsicle and how a ghost named Frostbite, who was the leader of a people of yeti-like ghosts living at a realm called the Far Frozen, had trained him to control his ice powers, which Phantom then used to save the day.

Phantom opened his palm. His eyes glowed blue and a diamond-shaped ice crystal formed, which he dropped into Spock's hand. "Fascinating."

Phantom smiled. "Thanks. This was the first time I didn't have to learn to control my powers on my own."

"Are there no other ghosts that would have helped?"

The boy shook his head. "Unfortunately not, Captain. There was one who offered, but the fruit loop can't be trusted."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "Why could they not be trusted?"

Phantom snorted with disgust. "Plasmius is a manipulative, power-mad psycho who does nothing if he doesn't have anything to gain from it. I don't want to become like him, so I refused his offer to benefit from his experience and knowledge."

Kirk placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You seem to be doing fine without him. Is he that much stronger?"

The ghost shrugged once more. "He's had powers for more than twenty years. I've had mine for a little more than one. I don't know if I would have a chance if he truly wished to destroy me."

McCoy looked uncomfortable. "If you say you've had your powers for a little over a year, does that mean you…" He trailed off, struggling to phrase this appropriately.

Phantom tilted his head and looked at him with a confused frown. "Are you asking me if this is how long I've been a ghost?"

The doctor nodded. "Shouldn't I have asked?"

Phantom smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. It's fine. Yes, I got my first basic powers when I became a ghost a little more than a year ago."

"May we ask what happened to you? Your phrasing suggests you were not born this way. Is that even possible?"

Phantom considered before answering the Vulcan. "Yes, one can be born a ghost. Those that were not were once humans or sometimes even animals. I don't know how one becomes a ghost after one dies or if all dead people become ghosts or just some. I was once a normal human 14-year-old boy." He held up his hands. "Please don't worry about me. I've come to terms with it. It's totally fine." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "How do I say this? It… was an accident involving electricity."

"You were electrocuted?!" McCoy exclaimed. Phantom stared at him wide eyed. "Please, it's fine. It was an accident, it wasn't anyone's fault." The boy ran his hands through his messy white hair. "Please, could we drop this subject? I don't wanna lie to you after everything you've done for me, but there are things I can't tell you."

He sighed. "I'll admit that for the first couple of weeks I wanted nothing more than go back to normal. I couldn't stop turning invisible or more often intangible at random. Everything would fall through my hands or somebody had to pull me up after I found myself waist-high through the floor. I'm alright now. Just please don't drive yourselves crazy over this."

The occupants of the room all took a deep breath. Then Kirk said: "You said that after Skulker you caught a second ghost. Is it still in the thermos or did it escape as well? And how great is the danger?"

Phantom's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "The thermos was empty. I don't remember who I caught. We need to find the ghost quick before…" He was interrupted by a gasp and blue mist escaping his lips. "That would be my ghost sense, quick, where…" This time the interruption came from the intercom. Kirk rushed over. "This is the captain. What is the situation?"

Lieutenant Uhura answered. "Captain, Ensign Chekov reports a strange energy reading from the guest quarters assigned to the two government agents."

"We are on our way." All four of them rushed to the cabin. After Phantom had phased them through the wall they could only stare in disbelieve. The GiWs were taking cover under a desk from crates flying around that had once contained clothing and other things the agents had been supplied with. Over them hovered an overweight, small, blue man wearing overalls, his arms stretched in the air.

Before anybody could move, Phantom doubled over and started laughing uncontrollably.

* * *

**I thought I'd end this chapter on a lighter note. Hope you had fun.**


	6. The Return of the Box Ghost

The Return of the Box Ghost

Four humans, one half-Vulcan and one ghost looked at the laughing boy incredulously. "This isn't funny, Phantom," growled Agent K from under the desk.

"It is," Phantom giggled. "I was so worried it was anyone really bad, but it's just the Box Ghost."

"Hey!" The Box Ghost crossed his arms in indignation. "What is that supposed to mean?" He looked at the three officers. "Who is this anyway?"

"Listen, Box Ghost," the boy cut in. "Once we make it back, you can tell the entire Ghost Zone you scared some GiWs, but I really have more important things to take care of, so let's just wrap this up real quick." Phantom removed the thermos from his belt and uncapped it.

"You will not catch me in your cylindrical container! I am the Box Ghooooost," the last word was drawn out and faded away as the Box Ghost was sucked into the thermos. Phantom capped it and returned it to his belt. "Congratulations, apart from little old me, your ship is entirely ghost free."

Kirk blinked at him. "Thank you, but what the hell was that?"

Phantom chuckled. "The Box Ghost. Annoying as hell, but only dangerous if you're afraid of paper cuts and bubble wrap. He's one of the few ghosts who actually want humans to fear them, but he hasn't gotten the memo that nobody thinks he's scary."

The agents crawled out from under their cover. "Looks like you are back to your cocky self. I think I liked you better when you couldn't speak." O said, his irritation clearly audible. "Back to playing superhero again."

Phantom crossed his arms across his chest. His expression soured and he held his body straight where he floated next to Spock. "You know, I wouldn't have to if you weren't so damn incompetent. You're never there during the actual attack. You always show up afterwards and even if you are there earlier, the only ghost you concern yourself with is me. The same goes for all other human ghost hunters in Amity Park. You are all too focused on hating me that you don't see that I'm trying not to cause trouble."

Spock raised an eyebrow, looking straight into Phantom's eyes. "You are _trying_ not to cause trouble?"

Phantom threw up his arms. "Yes, I'm trying. I'm just a kid, I'm not perfect. I make mistakes. I mess up sometimes. I can't always prevent the property damage. I'm sorry. I don't ask to be slammed into buildings, or the street. I had to learn to control my powers and how to use them responsibly. I…" He groaned and ran his hands through his hair, messing it up more than it already was.

"Mistakes?" Agent K yelled while stepping closer to the ghost. "You took the mayor hostage. You shot at the Fentons. You used your powers for burglary. You call those incidents mistakes?"

"Gentlebeings," Kirk inserted himself between the agent and the boy. "We are aware of those incidents. We studied your records."

K's anger was now directed at the captain. "You did? And you still let that creature roam freely around your ship? You realize he was probably spying on you?"

Kirk turned his head to face Phantom with his lips forming an amused grin. "You were spying?"

The boy rubbed the back of his neck. His expression became sheepish and his cheeks turned an interesting shade of toxic green. "Only in the mess hall, Sir."

McCoy laughed and patted him on the back. "Well, that's hardly a crime."

Phantom looked really uncomfortable. "If you studied their records, why do you still treat me like this?"

Spock straightened, clasping his hands behind his back. "There were quite a few things that struck us as odd. Regarding the incident with the mayor, several people, including the mayor, reported gaps in their memory. In some cases the last thing remembered was a large group of ghosts attacking the local high school. The security footage of the bank robbery shows you with red eyes. Your eyes, however, as we can clearly see, are green. If you become extremely angry, they flash green, but they never turn red."

Phantom looked back at them, completely baffled. "You noticed all of that? When nobody else did?"

"I believe the difference is that we have learned that someone's species does not necessarily make them malevolent, a fact that many humans in your time and town still need to learn. Under this hypothesis, it is not difficult to notice that it is not always the way it appears at first glance. In other words 'because he is a ghost' is not a valid argument."

Kirk nodded. "That's why we want to know what really happened. Can you tell us?"

Phantom's eyes were big as saucers, but there was a spark of hope in them. It vanished quickly when the boy remembered the two agents. McCoy slid his hand to the ghost's shoulder and squeezed it encouragingly. "Tell us. Those two don't matter right now."

Phantom closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He reopened them, but kept his gaze firmly on the floor. "I think I'll start with the robberies. The other story takes longer to explain." He rubbed the back of his neck again. "To be honest, most of it is a blur. It started when the Circus Gothica came to Amity Park. Its human ringmaster Freakshow had a staff with a crystal ball that could mind control ghosts. He used this staff not only to make the ghosts his circus attractions, but also made them steal money and jewelry for him. With the help of some human kids, the crystal ball was destroyed and Freakshow was arrested."

Kirk frowned. "But if this ringmaster was arrested for the burglaries, then why do they still blame you?"

Phantom shrugged. "Maybe they didn't understand that only one of us worked with Freakshow of her own free will. Apart from Lydia, none of us wanted to act as his accomplices. She and Freakshow seemed very close."

K's face twisted in disgust. "Are you suggesting that a human and a ghost are having a romantic relationship? That's just utterly wrong."

Phantom's eyes narrowed. "I would not call their relationship healthy either considering Freakshow is obsessively envious of ghosts and their powers. Why wouldn't humans and ghosts form relationships? Our bodies may consist of glowing green goo, but ghosts are people, too. You just usually see the most obsessed and aggressive ones, and mostly at their worst. I have seen ghosts in romantic relationships with each other. It would definitely be a first, but why not?"

"What if they procreate? If that's even possible. You'd probably get a ghost who looks like a human, who could possibly avoid detection, even shields or other means of containment may be ineffective. That is a risk we are not prepared for. And it is just freaky."

Something interesting happened. Phantom's hands balled into fists, he went completely still, his mouth became a thin line and his eyes flashed. "If two members of different species decide on their own will to be together and have kids that wouldn't be any of your business. And you also have no right to insult those kids for what they are."

"Be that as it may," Kirk said somewhat forcefully, a hand on Spock's arm in a comforting manner. Spock saw in Phantom's slightly sheepish but also kind expression that he remembered Skulker's words about Spock being only half-Vulcan. "What about the mayor?"

The boy nodded. "You see, there is this ghost named Walker. He's the Ghost Zone's prison warden."

"The Ghost Zone has a prison?" Agent O asked disbelievingly.

Phantom snorted. "Yeah. But not for establishing order. Since the Ghost King was overthrown, the Ghost Zone has been an almost ruleless wasteland. Walker is a control freak who wants everything to go his way. And if you disobey the rules he completely made up, he locks you away for a ridiculously long time."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "I suspect you were arrested? What for?"

The ghost shrugged. "Possession of a real world item. I wanted to retrieve something that had accidentally drifted into the Ghost Zone. Anyway, I wasn't the only one in that prison. They were mad at me at first, but then I managed to convince Skulker and the others to work together to break out. We managed and I really made a fool of Walker and he vowed revenge."

Phantom took a calming breath. "Walker and his goons invaded Amity Park. In the resulting chaos, he and some of his minions overshadowed, that means possessed, some of the humans. Once I figured that out, I was able to free them of the ghosts. I crashed a town meeting, but I no longer knew who was overshadowed and who wasn't, so I shot at the Fentons, who to my misfortune were not possessed."

He gulped. "Walker overshadowed the mayor and dragged me out in front of the press to make it look like I was the one holding him hostage when it was exactly the other way around. A friend and I defeated Walker, but he succeeded with his plan. He made my home town my personal prison where I couldn't go anywhere without being hunted. The town only started to trust me after the thing with the Ghost King."

Spock nodded. "That explains a lot."

"You believe me? Just like that?"

"You provided a believable explanation."

Phantom blinked, blushed toxic green, then bowed slightly to the three officers. "Thank you." His echoing voice was wavering slightly.

* * *

At dinner, it was decided to continue Phantom's examination the next morning after breakfast. Spock sat at his desk contemplating the day's events when the door buzzer sounded. "Come in."

Instead of the door opening, Phantom glided through it, glowing bluish and see-through before he became tangible again. He floated there awkwardly, his ghostly tail twitching nervously. "I hope I'm not bothering you."

Spock shook his head and the boy relaxed. "Not at all."

Phantom looked around, his gaze landing on Spock's lyre. "What do you call that instrument?"

"Ka'athyra. Do you play an instrument?"

"I used to play guitar."

"Why did you stop?"

Phantom shrugged. "The first couple of weeks after the accident, everything I'd pick up would fall right through my hands. Or I would fall through anything I was standing or sitting on. And then more and more ghosts appeared and I no longer had the time." He tilted his head. "Are you okay? First Skulker, then the GiWs' comments about hybrids. Well, they didn't mean you and I guess a ghost/human hybrid does sound freaky…"

"If the existence of a ghost/human hybrid is possible, it would not be 'freaky'," Spock interrupted. "It would be an interesting combination, but being different should not justify insults."

The ghost looked at him with a strange expression. "I believe the humans think differently. Some humans are jerks."

Spock pressed his lips together. "Vulcans are not better. Despite supposedly believing in 'Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations'."

Thankfully, Phantom only nodded. "I guess you only see it when you're the one who's different from the rest."

"Agreed."

The boy studied his throat. "How's your recovery going?"

"It is progressing satisfactorily. Your concern is appreciated, but unnecessary."

Phantom nodded, then yawned, quickly covering his mouth with a gloved hand. Spock let his lips twitch in an approximation of a smile. "I believe you should go to bed. We can continue this conversation tomorrow."

The boy chuckled. "You're right. It's been a crazy day. I'm glad you're better. I'll see you at breakfast?"

Spock inclined his head. "Correct. Good night, Phantom."

The ghost boy smiled. "Good night, Commander. And thanks again for listening to my version and for believing me."

Spock inclined his head again, this time in acknowledgement and Phantom left his quarters the way he came in.

* * *

Danny phased into his room and dropped onto the bed. He stared at the ceiling, thinking. Should he continue to keep his duality from them? Should he tell them? Would they be able to fix his problem so that he could change back?

How would they react to the news? Danny only knew Spock's thoughts on the matter. But his friends had clearly been defensive of the Vulcan.

He sighed heavily and rolled onto his side, closing his eyes. He should sleep.

* * *

**I got the idea of Danny playing guitar and having to stop because of his powers from a different fanfiction about Danny and Ember, but I forgot its title and the author's name. My apologies.**

**Seems like I spend the train rides between home and university quite productively. The reviews have been really enthusiastic, it's almost as if many have waited for a crossover between these two shows. I have an idea for another one once I'm finished with this one. I was thinking about involving Vlad somehow, but I can't come up with some evil master plot á la Plasmius. We'll see.**

**I'm sorry if I messed up with the episodes. I had to use the Wikia page to jog my memory because I have no time to rewatch episodes. If I could find the English version. The German dub of both shows is horrible. Is it only the German? Let me know if you have experienced the same with other languages or if you've come across translation errors. The German title of the Star Trek episode "The Galileo Seven" is one big mistake. As a translator, I'm interested in such things.**

**Hope you liked it. Have a nice day.**


	7. Reveal

Reveal

"You're supposed to eat that, not stab it to death," McCoy told Phantom while the latter continued to poke around his breakfast with his fork.

"You are tense this morning," Kirk remarked. "What's wrong?"

Phantom put down his fork and ran his hand through his hair. "Nothing is wrong. Well, I…" Phantom swallowed and sighed. "I haven't been entirely honest with you. I wish to rectify that, I just don't… I've never told anybody…"

"If it is this difficult for you, why did you decide to tell us?" Spock asked.

The boy looked extremely uncomfortable. "You've earned my trust. And I think I need your help, but in order to help me, should you choose to, you need all the facts."

Spock put his spoon in his now empty bowl and raised a signature eyebrow. "Should we choose to? Why would we not? Besides, I believe at least I have a debt to repay."

The ghost looked at him wide-eyed before shaking his head. "You owe me nothing. I did what I had to do."

The three officers exchanged glances. "Phantom," Kirk began gently. "Why do you do what you do? Why do you endanger yourself with fighting off the ghosts in your town when all the humans do in return is try to shoot you down and dissect you?"

"They're not all like that. Only slightly less than half the town believes me to be bad," the boy mumbled. He sighed and shrugged. "The first time I fought, it was to protect a friend. I found that even though I could not control my powers yet, maybe they were good for something. That I could use this newly gained natural advantage for keeping the humans safe, who rely heavily on equipment while all I need is the thermos. I guess… it just felt like the right thing to do."

"And now you're in over your head," McCoy summed it up.

Phantom shrugged. "Pretty much."

They all finished eating and headed to sickbay. Phantom sat back down on the examination table, intently studying his boots.

McCoy drew a privacy curtain around them, instructing his staff not to disturb them. "So kid, what is it that's bothering you so much and what can we do?"

Phantom said nothing for a while, fidgeting nervously. "It's about the whole hybrid thing again. They exist, even if they are rare. But they were not created the way you might think."

They stared at the ghost in disbelieve. "How many?" Kirk questioned.

"Three. Plasmius, a girl named Danielle and… myself."

Spock nodded in understanding. "That is what Skulker meant when he said I was even rarer than you."

Phantom nodded. "Skulker hunts me because to him I'm a rare specimen. He'd never risk a fight with Plasmius, especially considering he sometimes pays Skulker to do his dirty work, and Danielle is fairly young and nobody knows where she is."

McCoy tilted his head. "You sound worried about her."

The boy sighed in distress. "Yeah. She flew off to see the world. But her ghost half wasn't stable the last time I saw her. If she exerted herself, she'd start melting into a puddle of ectoplasm."

"Ectoplasm was the stuff you said your body consisted off?"

"Yes. You said you wanted a blood sample anyway. Do it now, so you can see."

The doctor took a hypo spray, put it against Phantom's upper arm and drew 'blood', which was actually a toxic green, glowing, gooey substance.

McCoy held out the vial for the others to see. Spock raised both eyebrows. "Fascinating. How did you become half ghost? Is that the correct term?"

Phantom nodded. "I guess. The ghosts call us halfas, half a ghost, half a human."

Kirk looked surprised. "The ghosts know?"

The boy chuckled. "The entire Ghost Zone knows what and who we are. But apart from Skulker, nobody ever mentions it. But for the GiWs it would only make me a more interesting lab rat."

The humans winced. "What happened to you?"

Phantom sighed. "Plasmius went to college with Maddie and Jack Fenton, who weren't married back then. Vlad, that's Plasmius's actual name, had a thing for Maddie and helped them with a prototype for a ghost portal. Due to a… confusion of chemicals, the prototype blew up in his face, landing him in a hospital for years, ruining his social life and when his best friend, who he blamed for the incident, married his love, he became bitter and vengeful. Vlad used his powers to gain wealth and influence and now he's still trying to get revenge."

He took a deep breath. "When I refused to join Vlad, he decided to clone me. Danielle was the first sentient clone, but she still wasn't what Plasmius wanted. He used her to get the missing DNA sample from me, which I didn't give him. She eventually figured out that to Vlad she was a mistake and a mess he wasn't gonna clean up and helped me to escape. I haven't seen her since."

McCoy looked at him in shock. "He cloned you? That's just messed up!"

Phantom gave a shrug. "I know. But it's not her fault. She's family. We call each other cousins, even though, technically, I guess we're siblings."

"You sell yourself short. It's amazing you think of her that way. But you still haven't told us what happened to you."

The halfa smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. When the Fentons first plugged in their portal to the Ghost Zone, it didn't work and they quit. My friends thought it would be cool to check it out and I got curious, pulled on a hazmat suit and went in. Turns out, the on-button was inside the portal. I accidentally pressed it and the portal turned on with me still inside."

Phantom looked at a point somewhere beyond their heads. "Apparently, in some cases it is possible that human DNA fuses with ectoplasm, creating a half ghost. I passed out and when I woke up…" he trailed off.

Kirk nodded. "You looked like you do now."

The boy made a noise to the affirmative. "First we thought I'd actually died and panicked. I remember freaking out, that I couldn't face my parents like this. And then… there was a flash of light and suddenly I was the way I was before."

"Who knows? You said your friends were there?"

"My friends Sam and Tucker and my sister Jazz, who found out later."

"So your parents don't know?" McCoy asked.

Phantom rubbed the back of his neck and gave a lopsided, sheepish smile. "Well, you see…"

Spock cut in. "More importantly, what were you doing inside the Fentons' laboratory?"

The boy bit his lip before suddenly sitting up straighter and looking right at them. "Maybe I need to introduce myself properly. I'm Danny. Danny Fenton."

This earned him startled expressions. "Your parents, who are considered experts on everything related to ghosts, have not been able to figure out that their own son is one of them?" McCoy exclaimed incredulously.

Phantom, Danny laughed. "No, every time I set off their equipment, they think it's malfunctioning. And the GiWs' equipment doesn't pick up on me at all when in human form. And I can also get past a ghost shield this way."

"Am I right in assuming that you requiring our help is related to your ability to switch forms?"

Danny blinked at Spock. "Yeah, you're right. I've tried several times, but I just can't change back. I'm stuck in ghost form. Probably due to the cuffs or the device that knocked me out. It has happened before that something designed to block my powers made it impossible for me to change back."

He fell silent, suddenly afraid of what they would say.

It was McCoy who placed a comforting hand on the halfa's shoulder. "I'm sure we can figure out what's wrong and fix it. Right, Jim? Spock? What do you think?"

"Absolutely. Spock, what do you think?"

"I believe," the Vulcan intoned. "That the next logical step is to find out how to reverse this. How did you get your powers back the last time this has happened?"

Danny's eyes shone with gratitude. "By being zapped with the same device that had rendered me powerless." He looked slightly scared. "Do I really have to go through that again?"

Spock turned to the captain. "I would prefer to study the devices in question first and then analyze their effect on a sample of Phantom's ectoplasm."

Phantom smiled. "You can draw as much as you need. As long as it doesn't kill me."

Kirk clapped his hands together. "Alright. Bones, Danny, I need you to provide Spock with a few samples to work with. Spock, I don't believe I have to tell you what to do."

"I believe not, Captain."

"Aye, Jim."

"Yes, Sir!" He smiled brightly, his eyes glowing even more than usual. "Thank you so much."

* * *

**Tada! I've never used my laptop this much on the train until now. Hope you enjoyed it.**


	8. Fatigue

Fatigue 

The next day found Spock working in the main science lab. Danny sat on a nearby workbench, his feet dangling lazily.

His sharp Vulcan ears caught the thirteenth yawn in the past hour. "Did you not rest well?" he asked while still bent over his scanner.

Danny yawned again. "I did. I dropped dead around eight last night and slept for almost eleven hours." The ghost's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "I don't know why I'm this tired."

Spock looked up from his work. The boy looked exhausted. His eyes had lost some of their radiance, as had his aura. Additionally, he'd paled considerably since he had rescued Spock from Skulker. "Have you ever been in this form for extended periods of time?"

Danny thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No, never this long. I usually change back when I run out of energy."

Spock pressed his lips together and nodded grimly. "And you are at present unable to do so."

Phantom looked at him in alarm. "You think it's serious? That something bad is gonna happen if I don't change back soon?"

"I do not know. I have no expertise in this area."

Danny sighed. "Where's Vlad if you need him. He probably knows."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "Even if he was here, do you think he would help you?"

Danny shrugged. "Maybe. Sure, he's manipulative, creepy and vengeful. But he's also bitter and lonely. I think in some strange way he cares, even if it's just so he won't be alone with his fate again."

Spock nodded, comprehending. "There is no other person who understands what it means to have one's DNA accidentally altered to become half ghost. And how to live this sort of double life."

Phantom studied his boots. "Yeah. My friends and Jazz are a great help and all, but they are humans. Jazz doesn't have the risk of setting off our parents' equipment or it affecting her at all. They aren't constantly late for school, or miss deadlines on assignments, or fall asleep in class. I'm constantly in trouble with my teachers or my parents because I am late, have bad grades and lag behind chores. And the ghosts seem to think being a halfa is great. One was completely awestruck when he witnessed my transformation. And Danielle was born a halfa and she doesn't have a human identity known to the public."

The Vulcan nodded before focusing back on his scanner. "I believe we should find the cause of your problem as soon as possible.

* * *

They had just picked up their lunch trays and were about to join Kirk and McCoy at the usual table when it happened. The sound of a full tray clattering to the ground made Spock turn around. Danny stood there, his tray and everything on it scattered and spilt across the deck. The boy looked at him with a startled expression that quickly morphed into sheer terror as he looked at his hands.

"What is wrong?"

Phantom took a few shaky breaths. "The tray… it fell right through my hands."

"Go and sit down. I will take care of this and get you a new tray." The Vulcan put his lunch on the table before putting a hand on the boy's upper back to gently push him towards the table. Or at least he attempted to do so. His hand went right through the boy. Spock quickly removed his hand, waiting for the strange sensation to wear off. The ghost now looked even more frantic."I can't control my intangibility. I…" He pressed his lips together and fled from the room.

Kirk and McCoy walked over. "What happened, Spock?"

"I am uncertain, Captain. But I have the theory that having been in ghost form for such an extended period of time is negatively affecting the control over his abilities. He accidentally turned partially intangible twice within 1.14 minutes and he is extraordinarily fatigued."

They exchanged worried glances. "Lunch has to wait. You think he's in his room?"

"I think it's a safe bet, Bones. Let's go."

When they entered Phantom's quarters, they appeared empty. "Kid, you in here?" McCoy called.

"I'm right next to you," replied a disembodied voice.

"Can you turn visible? We can't see you."

A sigh. "I'm trying, Captain. It's not working."

A short while later, Phantom appeared before them, eyes squeezed shut. He opened them and sighed with relief before he let out a startled yelp because he started sinking through the floor.

Spock grabbed him by the arms and pulled him up, fortunately able to get a grip on him this time.

The boy floating in front of them looked ready to hyperventilate."This is like the first month all over again. I can't control my powers."

"I'm sure we'll figure this out…"

"You don't understand!" Danny cut Kirk off. "Back then, I didn't have many powers to begin with. Now I do. And some are pretty dangerous. What if I lose control over them too?"

"Danny," Spock said firmly. "It will not get better from panicking. What was the worst accident with your newly gained abilities?"

"I… accidentally blasted Tucker when he tried to give me a high-five. He was okay, I swear." Danny added hurriedly.

The humans chuckled despite the situation. "I am confident that we will find a solution soon. The last test results were promising."

Phantom looked at Spock with a glimmer of hope in his toxic green eyes. "Really? You're not just saying this to calm me down?"

"Vulcans do not lie."

"I suggest," Kirk cut in. "We get back to lunch and then you get some more sleep, Danny. You look beat."

Spock nodded. "I believe I will work through the night. I might come to a solution by tomorrow morning." Danny opened his mouth in protest, but Spock continued. "Vulcans also require less sleep than humans."

The boy looked a strange combination of grateful and uncomfortable. "I don't know how to repay you for all of this."

"In case you have forgotten, it is I who owes you my very life. And it was you who said 'you owe me nothing'."

The halfa blinked back a few tears and said in a breaking voice: "Let's get back to lunch."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.**


	9. Time Flies

Time Flies

It took Spock the entire night and a good portion of the next morning until he was satisfied with the device. He ran one last test before reporting the results of his efforts to both the captain and Dr. McCoy. Both gave him the go-ahead and so Spock called Danny and told him to meet them in sickbay.

When the boy arrived, he looked even more horrible than before. His aura was almost non-existent and he continued to flicker into invisibility and intangibility with no control over it. His eyes bore into Spock with despair. "You can change me back to normal?"

Spock nodded. "If you would like an explanation…"

Danny shook his head violently. "I don't care. You can give me the details later. I feel like I'm gonna melt into a puddle of goo if we don't do this immediately. You have my trust. Please."

McCoy nodded. "Lie down on the table. You will likely lose consciousness."

Danny took a deep breath and did so, concentrating hard to not phase through it. Spock stepped closer. "I have modified the beam of this phaser. I will have to fire it at you, please do not be concerned."

Danny chuckled mirthlessly. "It's fine. It can only get better."

Spock nodded and aimed. "Ready?"

Phantom took another deep, albeit shaky breath. His hands gripped the sides of the table and he closed his eyes tightly. "Ready."

Spock fired the modified weapon. The boy cried out in pain before becoming completely still. McCoy scanned him. "The readings are still weird…" He didn't get to finish his sentence because a bright white ring formed at the boy's waist. It split in two and travelled across his body, leaving behind a human teenager with black hair, wearing a red trimmed white shirt, blue jeans and red sneakers. McCoy carefully lifted an eyelid, revealing a baby blue iris.

The tricorder was waved over the still form again. McCoy shook his head. "Unbelievable. Now he reads completely human."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "Fascinating."

Kirk put a hand on each of his friends' shoulders. "You did it."

Spock nodded. "I believe we should let him rest."

And that they did.

* * *

Danny regained consciousness only to fall asleep from exhaustion. When he finally woke up, a few days had gone by. It took another couple of days until McCoy and Spock were certain that Danny was alright and in full control of his powers, including switching forms.

Currently, they were sitting at their usual table in the empty mess hall. The human adults were drinking coffee and Spock was helping Danny with his homework. The boy closed the math book with a relieved sigh. "Thanks. I think I get it now. It's great to no longer be behind with my schoolwork."

Spock raised both eyebrows and let the corners of his mouth twitch up slightly. "It was no inconvenience."

Danny smiled back, blue eyes sparkling. "I mean it. Thanks. For everything. I thought I'd never get back to human form."

Kirk grinned, too. "No problem, Kid. We were glad to help."

Danny suddenly froze, a cloud of visible breath escaping his mouth. However, before anyone could react a calm voice said: "Time out." And everything stood still.

The purple clad ghost looked the scene over and smiled before sliding three gear shaped medallions over the heads of the three Starfleet officers. The men immediately became mobile once more and took in their completely frozen surroundings. "What's going on and who are you," Kirk demanded.

The ghost in front of the changed from an old man into a child. "Do not be concerned, Captain. I merely wished to have a few words with you without Danny hearing us. I am Clockwork and I watch over the time stream."

Spock tilted his head. "Are you responsible for recent events?"

Clockwork changed into a more adult form. "Not for them coming here. But I have watched you and I knew what was going to happen."

"How?" McCoy asked.

The ghost smiled secretively. "I know everything. Past, present and every possible future. Young Danny here will one day play a vital role. I knew it would be beneficial to let events here unfold. Not only is he recovered physically, but also mentally. He no longer believes everyone hates him. That there are people who can appreciate what he does. And that don't think badly of what he is. Thanks to you."

He took another medallion and Danny unfroze. He looked around in confusion. "Clockwork? What are you doing here?"

The ghost smiled, this time almost fatherly. "I am here to return you and the agents to your time. Don't worry. Only the four of you will remember once I have returned you to the morning of the day you got here so that you can go through it again rested and with completed homework."

Danny grinned and packed his things, thermos included, into his backpack. "I guess this is goodbye."

They shook hands and in Spock's case exchanged a proper Vulcan salute. "Live long and prosper."

Danny nodded. "Peace and long life. And thank you."

And with that they were gone without a trace.

* * *

Danny walked down the street towards home in good spirits. He had not fallen asleep, had not gotten in trouble with Lancer, both Skulker and the Box Ghost were still in the thermos and he had successfully avoided Dash.

He halted when he saw the GiWs' van parked across the street, two familiar agents scanning for ghost activity. Danny chuckled and patted the side of his backpack. He proceeded walking home, whistling a happy tune.

Three space travelers with the help of a ghost in a purple cloak watched and smiled brightly, well in one case it was more a twitch of the corner of his mouth. "All is as it should be."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it despite the unspectacular ending. Live long and prosper.**


End file.
